Sewing machine for automatic embroidery stitching



M. R. PERLA Dec. 10, 1963 SEWING MACHINE FoR AUTOMATIC EMBROIDERY STITCHING Filed oct. 27. 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet l m R m@ A WR T n m G M MA Y B .5 S m W Y Dec. 1o, 1963 M. R. PERLA 3,113,536

SEWING MACHINE FOR AUTOMATIC EMBROIDERY STITCHING Filed 001'.. 27, 1960 4 ShSel'.S-Sheel'l 2 Fig.2

IN VEN TOR.

Mari/'n R. Per/a W/ TN ESS TORN EY M. R. PERLA 3,113,536

sEwING MACHINE FOR AUTOMATIC EMBROIDERY STITOHING Dec. 10, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. Mari/'n R. Per/a 5&1

Filed 0G13. 27, 1960 w/TNESS m4 SEWING MACHINE FoR AUTOMATIC EMBROIDERY sTITcRING Filed oct. 27. 1960 M. R. PERLA Dec. 10, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VEN TOR Marin R. Per/a Wl TNES` MEQWL ATTO Patented Dec. l0, 1953 entrasse SEWING MACHINE FR AUTUMATC EMERKDERY S'lii'lCHllNG Martin R. Perla, Faireid, Conn., assigner to The Singer Company, a corporation of New .lersey Filed Oct. 27, 1%0, Ser. No. 65,453 1 (Ziairn. (Qi. 1112-158) This invention relates to sewing machines, and more particularly, to a sewing machine capable of producing automtically an infinite variety of ornamental embroidery stitch patterns.

t is an object of this invention to provide a sewing machine with a pattern cam controlled needle bar jogging mechanism combined with a pattern cam controlled work feeding mechanism for shifting the work `fabric in any direction in the plane of the work fabric.

Another object of this invention is to provide a work feeding mechanism with separate pattern cam control of the work feeding motion in mutually perpendicular directions for the automatic production of repetitive embroidery switch configurations.

A further `object of this invention is to provide a novel pattern cam arrangement for controlling needle bar jogging and the work feeding motion in mutually perpendicular direc-tions, in which the pattern cams may be conveniently rendered elective or ineffective and exchanged to provide an infinite variety of stitch patterns.

`It is another object of this invention to provide in a Work feeding mechanism with separate pattern cam control means for the work feeding motion in mutually perpendicular directions, an operator influenced stitch length control means for the work feeding motion in one of said mutually perpendicular directions, and a novel operator influenced means for selectively connecting said work feeding mechanism to either said pattern cam control means or said opera-tor iniiuenced stitch length control means.

Another object of this invention is to provide a work feeding mechanism with separate pattern cam control of the work feeding motion in mutually perpendicular directions, which mechanism mlay be `applied readily and conveniently to sewing machines having known unidirectional Work feeding mechanism.

V/ith the above and additional objects and advantages in View as will hereinafter appear, this invention comprises the devices, combinations, `and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment in which:

FIG. 1 represents a left side elevational view of a sewing machine having this invention applied thereto with portions of the sewing machine casing :and Work feeding mechanism broken away and illustrated in vertical crosssection,

FlG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially along line 2 2 of FIG. l,

FIG. 3 is an enlarged top plan view of the work supporting bed of the sewing machine of FIG. 1 with the cloth plate removed and the mechanism in the standard broken aw-ay substantially at the level of the top of the Work supporting bed,

FIG. 4 is a top plan View of the free extremity of the work supporting bed, illustrating a modified form of throat plate and feed dog which may be used with this invention,

FIG. 5 represents a right side eleva-tional view of the bracket `arm portion of the sewing machine of FIG. 1,

FG. 6 is an enl-arged cross-sectional View of the sewing machine bed taken substantially along line 6-6 of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 7 represents a top plan View of a portion of the work feed mechanism driving connections contained in the bed Vas illustrated in yFIG. 3 but with the machine frame, feed bar, and throat plate removed.

Referring particularly to FIGS. l and 5 of the drawings, the sewing machine comprises a casing including a base 11 formed with a cylinder bed 12 and surmounted on a sewing machine supporting member 13 secured to the base. Rising from the base 11 is a hollow standard 14 formed with `a bracket arm 1S overhanging the cylinder bed 12.

Iournaled in the bracket arm is a main shaft 16 fitted with a balance wheel drive pulley 17 and having conventional operative connections (not shown) in the free extremity of the bracket arm for operating a needle thread ltake-up member 18 land for imparting endwise reciprocatory movement to a needle bar 19 journaled in a needle bar gate 20 pivoted at 21 in the bracket arm.

By means of a timing belt 25, a bed shaft 26 journaled in the base 11 and cylinder bed 12 is driven from the main shaft 16. A conventional loop-taker 27 within the cylinder bed is driven from the bed shaft by gearing (not shown) at a speed of two revolutions for each reciprocation of a needle 28 carried by the needle bar. The needle land loop-taker are thus arranged to cooperate in the formation of lock stitches.

Fast on the main shaft 16 is a worm 30 which meshes with a worm Wheel 31 carried on ra cam shaft 32 journaled transversely of the bracket `arm 15 in bushings 33 31'3 secured therein. The cam shaft 32, which provides for the automatic pattern cam control of both needle jogging and work feeding motions, is arranged as illustrated in FIG. 2 to extend at one extremity 32 exteriorly of the bracket arm 15. Fast on the cam shaft within the bracket arm 15 and between the bushings 33-33 lare a stack of pattern cam disks 34 each with a different peripheral cam 'track which, as will be described hereinbelow, may serve either individually or collectively to control lateral jogging of the needle bar to produce zigzag stitches. A collar 35 lfast on the free extremity 32 of Ithe cam shaft is provided adjacent to its periphery with a locking pin 36 parallel land spaced from the cam shaft extremity |32. A plurality of separate and exchangeable pattern cam disks 37, 38 and 39 are carried on the free extremity of the cam shaft and rotatably locked thereon by the locking pin 36. A knurled nut 4t) threaded on the cam shaft extremity serves to secure the pattern cam disks 37, 3S and 39 `against the collar 35. @ne of the exchangeable pattern cam disks 39 on the free extremity 32 of t-he cam shaft may serve individually or collectively with any or all of the pattern cam disks '34 in the cam stack within the bracket arm to control the needle jogging motion while the exchangeable pattern cam disks 37 and 38 serve to provide for automatic control of the work feeding motion, kas will be described later.

.logging of the needle bar gate 20 in the sewing machine illustrated in the drawings is derived from oscillatory motion of a pattern cam follower frame 50 which, as illustrated in FIG. 5, is fulcrumed on a pin 511 carried in the bracket arm 15.

The frame G overhangs the stack of pattern cam disks 394- and has pivoted thereon a plurality of follower levers 52 one for each of the pattern cam disks 34 in the stack. Each follower lever 52 includes a linger grip portion 53 by which the operator of the machine may turn the lever to shi-ft a carn follower lug 54 thereon into or out of operative engagement with the peripheral cam track on the pattern cam disk with which -it corresponds in the stack of cams 34. he frame also includes a lateral extension 55, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in which is journaled a cam follower yshaft 56 formed with a cam follower lug `S7 disposed opposite the periphery of the exchangeable pattern cam disk 39 exteriorly of the bracket arm. A .linger grip portion S8 is carried on the cam follower shaft 56 for the purpose of shifting the follower lug 7 into or out of operative engagement with the peripheral cam :track of the exchangeable pattern cam disk 39.

yReferring to JPEG. 5, the pattern cam follower frame Si) is formed with a depending arm 60 pivoted at 61 to a link '62 which in turn is pivoted at 53 to needle bar jogging link i which extends along the bracket arm 1S and is pivoted at to one arm 65 of a bell crank lever fulcrumed on the pin 67 in the bracket arm and having a bifurcated arm o8 embracing a slide block 69 pivoted at 7G to the need-le bar gate 2i?.

The motion imparted to the needle bar jogging link 6ft by lthe pattern cam follower frame 50 is constrained by means of a slide block T1 pivoted at 72 on the needle bar jogging link 64 and disposed .in a slotted guide member 73. The slotted guide member 73 may be turned angularly relatively to the machine casing by an adjusting handle 74, illustrated in FIG. 1, to influence the overall width or bight of needle jogging motion, and may also be shifted bodily rela-tively to the sewing machine casing by an adjusting handle 75 to intlluence the neutral position of needle iogging motion to the right, left or center of the overall needle jogging motion. This type of slotted guide member and slide block arrangement for bight land neutral position control of needle jogging motion is conventional in zigzag sewing machine construction.

Referring now to lFIGS. 1, 3, 6 'and 7 of the drawings, the work feeding mechanism of the sewing machine comprises a feed bar disposed within the cylinder bed 12 beneath a Work supporting cloth plate 81 secured on the cylinder bed. A work engaging feed dog 82 is secured at one end of the feed bar while the opposite end of the feed bar is fitted with a jaw member 83 defining with the feed bar bifurcated jaws which slidably and pivotally embrace a guide rod 84 fixed transversely across the cylinder bed.

For raising and lowering the feed dog into engagement with a work fabric, a feed lift eccentric 85 is carried fast on the bed shaft 26. As illustrated in FIG. 6, a bifurcated -follower lever S6 fulcrurned at 87 on a bracket SS secured in the cylinder bed embraces the :feed lift eccentric. A spherically headed pin S9 carried by the follower lever 86 .is connected by means of a link 90 with a spherically headed pin 91 secured beneath the feed bar 80 to provide for the feed lift motion without coniiiot with the feed-advance and -re-turn motions.

Feed-advance and -return mot-ion in a direction transversely across the cylinder bed 12 is imparted to the feed dog by means of `a mechanism best illustrated in FIG. 7. A feed advance eccentric 95 'fast on the bed shaft 26 is embraced by an eccentric Istrap 96 pivotally connected by the pin 97 to one arm 98 of a T-shaped link 99 pivoted by a pin 106 to a rock frame 101 fulcrumed on a pin 102 in the bracket 8S. The connecting pin 97 carries a slide block 103 which is slidable in a slotted Kguide member 1li-4 fast on an yangularly adjustable shaft i165 journaled in the cylinder bed. The xangular position of the shaft 105 and thus of the slotted guide member 164 determines the proportion of the motion of the eccentric strap 95 which is translated into oscillatory motion of the rock frame 1111. A pair of spherically headed opstanding pins fils-lilo carried on the rock frame 101 in spaced relation lengthwise along the cylinder bed are embraced each by one of -a pair of slots ,10T-11%? elongate lengthwise of the feed bar Si?. l

Feed-advance and -return'motion irl a direction length; wise of the cylinder bed -12 is imparted to the feed dog' by means of `a spherically headed pin depending' from the jaw member S3 secured to the feed bar. A link 111 having a universal connection with the spherically headed pin 1.111 is similarly connected to a spherically headed pin `112 carried by one arm 1.13 o-f a bell crank having a second arm 114 and ful'crumed on a pin 115 carried in a support bracket 116 in the machine base. A spring `117 connected to the feed bar St) and to an eyelet 11S carried by the cylinder bed biases the feed bar t toward the free end of the cylinder bed. p

As best illustrated in FlGS. 1, 3 and 6,- t'he feed dog 82 may be formed with parallel rows of teeth 120 which are raised and lowered into and out of engagement with. a work fabric through elongate slots i121 formed in a slide plate i122 adjacent to a needle aperture =123 therein.- The slide plate is sli-dably constrained for movement lengthwise of the cylinder bed in ways 124 formed in a throat plate 12S secured on the free extremity of the cylinder bed. Gibs 126 secured on the throat plate along the ways 124 serve to constrain the slide plate 122 slidably in the ways 121i. A connecting link 127 pivotally secured on a spherically headed pin 12S` depending from the slide plate 122 and carrying `a sphericallyheaded 'pin 129 which is seated in 'a recess 130 in the feed bar 80 provides for the shifting motion of the slide plate front the feed bar independently of the feed dogs so that the rows of feed dog teeth 126 will not chafe at the sides of the slots 121.

FIG. 4 illustrates a modified form of throat plate and feed dog 4in which a feed dog 1311 is formed with a plurality of isolated raised and roughened work engaging portions 1132 which operate through a plurality of clearance openings 133 formed in a throat plate 1114iY adjacent to a needle aperture 1135l formed therein.y The throat plate 134- is fixed on the free extremity of the cylinder bed.

Both the feed dog and throat plate arrangements of FIGS. 3 and 4 cooperate with a .conventional spring clepressed presser foot 136 carried by a presser .bar 137 journaled in the bracket arm .to grip and transport the work fabrics in any direction in the plane of the work fabric 4as determined by the throat plate.

Referring to FIGS. al, 2 and 3, the automatic pattern cam control of the work feed motion will now be de scribed. For controlling the feed motion lengthwise of the cylinder bed, the `arm-114- of the bell crank 11S- 114 is fitted with a spherically headed pin 140 upon 'which is universally pivoted a connecting rod 14d extending verti-l cally in the hollow standard 14 `and connected at the upper extremity with a follower lever i142 journaled `on a ful# crum pin |143 in the bracket arm. The follower lever 142 extends exteriorly of the bracket arm and is fitted with a cam follower pin 144 disposed radially of the exchangeable pattern cam disk 37.

The cam follower pin 144 is maintained in engagement with the peripheral cam track of the pattern cam disk 37 by the spring 117 on the feed bar. The cam follower pin 144 may, however, be turned and held in an inoperative position out of engagement with the cam disk 37, for exchange of the pattern cams 37, 3S and 39 or when feed motion lengthwise of the cylinder bed is not desired, by means of a throw out cam 145 carried on a: stud shaft 146 journaled in the bracket arm beneath thefulcrum pin 143. The throw out cam, which engages beneath the follower lever 142 at the opposite side ofi' the fulcrum pin 143 from the cam follower pin 144, is preferably fitted with a finger grip 147 exteriorly of the bracket arm for convenient operation.

For controlling the feed motion in the direction transversely across the cylinder bed, the angularly adjustable shaft 105 carries a rock arm 151i provided with a headed screw 151. A connecting rod 152 extending vertically Within the hollow standard 14 is formed with an elongate slot 153 freely slidable on the headed screw 151 and a link 154 extending vertically into the hollow standard is pivotally connected to the rock arm by the headed screw 151. The connecting rod 152 is pivotally connected at its upper extremity to a follower lever 155 journaled on the fulcrum pin 143. The follower lever 155 extends exteriorly of the bracket arm and is fitted with a cam follower pin 156 disposed radially of the exchangeable pattern cam disk 3S. A spring 157 fastened to the connecting rod 152 and to an anchor bracket 158 secured within the bracket arm serves to bias the follower pin 156 into engagement with the peripheral cam track of the pattern cam disk 38. The cam follower pin 156 may, however, be moved to and held in an inoperative position out of engagement with the cam disk 33, for exchange of the pattern cams 37, 33 and 39 or when cam control of the feed motion transversely of the cylinder bed is not desired, by means of a throw-out cam 159 carried on a stud shaft 16@ journaled in the bracket arm beneath the fulcrum pin 143. As with the throw-out cam 145 for the cam follower lever 142, the throw-out cam 159 engages beneath the follower lever 155 at the opposite side of the fulcrum pin 143 from the cam follower pin 156 and is fitted with a finger grip 161 exteriorly of the bracket arm for convenient operation.

Fulcrumed on a pin 165 set into the rear wall of the standard 14 is a stitch length adjusting lever 166 fitted at its free extremity with a sheet metal extension 167 slidably guided in a vertical slot 16S formed in the front wall of the standard. The stitch length adjusting lever 166 is formed with a bore 169 in which a rod 176 is slidably arranged. The rod 170 is guided in a bifurcated extremity 171 of the sheet metal extension 167 and similarly guided in a Vertical slot 172. formed in an escutcheon plate 173 secured to the bracket arm spanning the vertical slot168 therein. At the free extremity the rod 170 is preferably attened and downturned, as at 174, to serve as a finger grip.

A laterally extending carrier pin 175 secured on the rod 170 extends through a slot 176 formed in the stitch adjusting lever 166 and is embraced in an arcuate slot 177 formed in the link 154. By means of the linger grip 174 the rod 170 may be shifted in and out of the shift length adjusting lever 166, toward and away from the fulcrum pin 165, carrying with it the link 154 which is formed at one side with a flared notch 17S for engagement with a pin 179 projecting from the connecting rod 152 and at the other side with a ared notch 1S@ for engagement with a pin 181 projecting from the stitch length adjusting lever 166. The finger grip portion 174 of the rod 171) also provides a means for swinging the stitch length adjusting lever 166 about the fulcrum pin 165 such that when the rod 17@ is pulled out to connect the link 154 with the pin 181 on the stitch length adjusting lever, the extent of Work feeding motion in a direction transversely across the cylinder bed may be controlled manually in accordance with the position of the stitch length adjusting lever.

When the rod 170 is shifted inwardly into the position illustrated in FIG. 2, the pin 175 thereon acting in the slot 177 of the link 154 will carry the ared notch 178 of the link 154 into engagement with the pin 179 on the pattern cam controlled connecting rod 152. The links 152 and 154 thus operatively connected will then transmit pattern cam influenced motion to the stitch length adjusting shaft 105. By virtue of the slot 177 in the link 154, the pattern cam influenced motion of the links 152 and 154 will not be transmitted to the stitch length adjusting lever 166 in this position of parts and, therefore, the exposed finger grip portion 174 of the rod 170 will remain stationary during pattern cam control of the work feeding mechanism.

When the rod is shifted outwardly (to the left as viewed in FIG. 2) the pin 175 on the rod 171i acting in the slot 177 of the link 154 will swing the link 154 to carry the flared notch 178 out of engagement with the pin 179 on the pattern cam influenced connecting rod 152 and to carry the flared notch 180 into engagement with the pin 181 on the stitch length adjusting lever 166. Because of the slot 153, the pattern cam influenced connecting rod 152 will then be ineffective to iniiuence the feed motion and will partake of idle motion or may be immobilized by shifting the finger grip 161 to render the throw out cam 159 effective. In the above described position of parts, however, the operator induenced stitch adjusting lever 166 will be operatively connected by the link 154 to control the angular position of the stitch length adjusting shaft 105.

The sewing machine of this invention may thus be operated in a fully automatic fashion to produce repetitive embroidery patterns of stitches in which a cam controlled feed motion in mutually perpendicular directions in the plane of the work fabrics cooperates with a pattern cam controlled needle bar jogging motion. This machine provides for the use of one or more of a stack of pattern cams in the bracket arm for controlling the needle bar jogging motion, or the use of exchangeable pattern cams exteriorly of the sewing machine for the needle jogging or feed control. Moreover, any one or more of the pattern cam controls for the needle jogging or feed motions may be rendered ineffective by the machine operator.

Having thus set forth the nature of this invention, what l claim herein is:

A sewing machine having a casing including a work supporting bed and a bracket arm overhanging said bed, a needle carried in said bracket arm for endwise reciprocating and lateral jogging movement, a loop-taker carried in said bed, actuating mechanism in said casing operatively connected to reciprocate said needle endwise and to operate said loop-taker in timed relation thereto in the formation of stitches, and a work feeding mechanism including a cylindrical guide rod fixed transversely in said bed on a substantially horizontal axis, a flat feed bar disposed substantially horizontally in said bed, said feed bar being formed with a bifurcate portion slidably pivoted on said guide rod, a feed dog carried on said feed bar remote from said bifurcate portion, means driven by said actuating mechanism for vibrating said feed bar vertically about the axis of said guide rod to shift said feed dog into and out of engagement with a Work fabric on said work supporting bed, a feed drive frame fulcrumed in said work supporting bed and having a pair of upstanding rock arms spaced along a line perpendicular to said guide rod, said feed bar being formed with slots elongate perpendicular to said guide rod embracing said pair of upstanding rock arms, means operated by said actuating mechanism for vibrating said feed drive frame to impart feed and return motion to said feed dog transversely of said work supporting bed parallel to the axis of said guide rod, control means associated with said feed drive frame vibrating means for selectively varying the effectiveness thereof, and means for providing a predetermined integrated program of lateral needle jogging and universal feed motion comprising a cam shaft driven by said actuating mechanism, three exchangeable pattern cams carried for rotation on said cam shaft, a irst cam follower means operably connected to control lateral jogging movement of said needle and arranged to track a first of said three pattern cams, a second cam follower means operatively connected to said control means associated with said feed drive frame and arranged to track a second of said three pattern cams, and a third cam follower means arranged to track a third of said three pattern cams, arid linkage means carried in said casing and operatively connected to said third cam follower means and to said feed bar for imparting pattern cam controlled motion to said feed bar in the direction of said elongate slots therein.

1,611,372 Rader Dec. 21, 1926 8 Galkin Feb. 16, Perla Oct, 22, Perla et al Sept, 29, Fischer Jan. 3, Vigorelli Mar. 28, Taketorni Mar. 27,y

FOREIGN PATENTS France Feb. 18, France Sept. 30,l 

